Year Erected: 2022

Marker Text: Founded on January 10, 1957, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) coordinated the nonviolent actions of protest groups during the Civil Rights Movement. Led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., SCLC directly influenced civil rights legislation, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, by leading protests in Birmingham and Selma, Alabama, and assisted with organizing the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963. Following King’s assassination in 1968, Ralph David Abernathy became SCLC president. Other influential leaders include Medal of Freedom recipients Ambassador Andrew Young, Rev. C.T. Vivian, and Rev. Joseph E. Lowery. Under the leadership of President Charles Steele, Jr., SCLC moved from its original headquarters at Prince Hall next door to 320 Auburn Avenue in 2007. SCLC remains a leader among civil rights organizations.

Erected by the Georgia Historical Society, the Rich Foundation, and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.